A standard recessed light fixture has a housing that is mounted in a hole in a wall or ceiling and that is provided internally with a lamp holder that incorporates a socket for the bulb. In many systems the lamp holder itself is somewhat movable inside the housing so that the lamp can be directed differently, depending on application.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,371 of E. Miles such a light fixture is shown where the lamp holder is mounted on two identical pairs of rigid links so that it can moved inward and outward in the housing and also tipped about an axis crossing the inward/outward adjustment direction. This provides a great deal of flexibility but has the considerable disadvantage that it is possible to tip the lamp holder while it is still recessed in the housing so that the housing edge cuts the lamp beam. In practice it is essential that only when the lamp holder is moved somewhat outward out of the housing should it be tipped, and when it is in its innermost position it should be aligned coaxially with the housing.
In another known arrangement the lamp holder has on its lower portion pivot pins that can rotate in corresponding seats in the housing. When the pins are provided on a plane bisecting the assembly the beam of the lamp is cut by the housing increasingly as it is pivoted out of its coaxial position. On the other hand when the pins are offset from this plane the lamp holder swings out when pivoted, but when swung out there is less friction to hold it at the pivots and a considerable space is created on the back side of the holder.